LSU and Wyoming headed to Northern Arizona this weekend, with the Tiger women and Cowboy men winning two-day, short-course-meter meets at altitude against the host Lumberjacks.
The format was a unique one. All three teams field a women’s program, so that meet was swum as a two-day triangular, with both days taking place in short course meters. NAU does not have a men’s team, however, making the men’s meet a dual between LSU and Wyoming at a neutral site.
Scoring-wise, the men’s meet was split into two single-day dual meets. There was also some overlap in the swimming events, with each of the non-free strokes swimming 50s, 100s and 200s over the two days, but a few freestyle events being doubled up with races on each day.
The meet also served as a chance for the teams to compete at altitude. That was an especially big change for LSU, which trains at a much lower altitude than their two opponents.
Men’s Meet
The men’s meet consisted of two straight-up dual meets on neutral ground, with Wyoming triumphing in both.
The Cowboys swept 11 of 15 events on day 1. Sprinter Kyle White was the first to double, taking the 50 free (23.16) and 100 free (51.60). He would be joined by breaststroker Kyle Scalise (50 breast in 28.92, 200 breast in 2:19.29) and IMer Ryan Nelson (400 free in 4:06.13 and 200 IM in 2:07.55).
LSU stole three swimming events, two from Logan Rysemus. He was unbeatable in the sprint strokes, going 24.91 for a narrow 50 fly win and 26.33 to win the 50 back in a 1-2 with teammate Thomas Smith. Smith would get LSU’s other win, going 2:01.32 in the 200 back.
On day 2, White, Scalise and Rysemus added third wins for their teams. White kept his sprint dominance up with a 58.22 win in the 100 IM for Wyoming, just beating out LSU’s Rysemus. Scalise completed his Wyoming breaststroke sweep with a 1:02.65 in the 100, and Rysemus won the 100 fly for LSU in 54.97.
Ultimately, Wyoming took wins of 172-127 on Friday and 131-112 on Saturday.
Women’s Meet
LSU dominated the women’s triangular, getting 10 combined wins from Kara Kopcso, Colleen O’Neil and Megan Cox.
Kopcso won three races on her own Friday, taking the 50 fly (27.70), 200 fly (2:14.98) and 200 IM (2:19.19). She would complete her butterfly sweep on day 2 with a 1:01.08 win in the 100 fly.
O’Neil and Cox won three apiece. O’Neil nearly the breaststrokes, going 32.35 in the 50 and 2:38.15 in the 200 on day 1. She didn’t contest the 100 on Saturday, instead swimming the very next event, the 100 IM, where she won in 1:03.74.
That 100 breast instead went to Northern Arizona’s Urte Kazakeviciute in 1:13.58, a touchout of Wyoming’s Molly Coonce (1:12.60) and LSU’s Lauren Thompson (1:13.61) and Taryn Mackenzie (1:13.79) in one of the meet’s best all-around races.
LSU’s other big winner was freestyler Megan Cox. She took the 200 free (2:02.89) on day 1 followed by the 100 free (56.54). On Saturday, she repeated as 100 free winner, going 56.74.
Northern Arizona ruled the longer distances with Kendall Brown, who got three wins of her own. Brown opened up day 1 with a win in the 800 free (9:07.45), then closed the night with a 4:25.82 win in the 400 free. Another repeated event in the shuffled lineup saw Brown again win the 400 free Saturday, this time going 4:27.50.
Wyoming’s biggest win came in the 200 free relay on day 1, an event in which they topped LSU by almost a full second. Emily Ridout had the key swim, anchoring in 25.40 to help the Cowgirls go 1:44.60.
Ridout would come back on day 2 to win the individual 50 free in 26.20.
Also on that winning relay was Isabel Ryan, who was the individual 50 free winner on Friday with a 25.25. Ryan did not swim the 50 free on Saturday when the event was repeated.
Team Scores:
- LSU 151 – Wyoming 92
- LSU 164 – NAU 79
- Wyoming 144 – NAU 99
Scalise! What a MAN